Anne La Berge

Who is Anne La Berge?

Anne La Berge is a flautist, composer and improviser, currently resident in Amsterdam. Her most recent performances bring together the elements on which her reputation is based: a virtuosic command of her instrument, a penchant for improvising microtonal textures and melodies, and an array of percussive flute effects, all combined with electronic processing. These have distinguished her as “a pioneer in a wide array of new techniques”. Many of her compositions involve her own participation, though she has produced works intended solely for other performers, usually involving guided improvisation.The last few years have seen a new addition to her work: enigmatic texts that form part of her compositions and improvisations. In addition to creating her own work, she regularly performs in other artists’ projects in a range of settings from modern chamber music to improvised electronic music.

While pursuing PhD research at the University of California, San Diego in the mid-1980s she formed a duo with flutist John Fonville, commissioning new works and exploring extended techniques on flute, particularly with regard to microtonal scales.